Once Upon a Dream
by animefan106
Summary: There are times where people want to forget things in their past. Kuroko Tetsuya was among these kinds of people. Despite the fact that he had achieved his goal of defeating the Generation of Miracles and becoming number 1 in Japan, there was still something that didn't feel right. After an adventure-like dream, he realizes that he can still let go yet still hold on to the past.


_Disclaimer: I do not own anything of the Kuroko no Basuke franchise. If the title or plot is similar to another story in anyway, it is purely coincidence._

_Warning: After Winter Cup, Seirin won against Rakuzan… Umm… It's really long along with personal opinions of the characterizations of a lot of characters along with scenes I made up. __Oh, and spoilers from recent chapters as well (up to chapter 212)._

_A/N: So this is a plot bunny I had for a few days and I wanted to write it down. This is probably the longest one-shot I have ever written before so if my ideas seem flakey, feel free to point it out and critique me. I was listening to a lot of the OST of KnB so I got a lot of inspiration from that and from just rewatching the first episode as well._

_Fuu, yeah, that's all I have at the moment. _

_Please enjoy!_

* * *

Small, fragile, pink flower petals were blown off the trees, causing a storming whirlwind of pink to paint the scene before him.

Light blue eyes stared at the work of mother nature before him while walking through the pale pink storm that were as soft as snow. Other people around him wearing similar clothing to his, to be exact their school uniforms, hid their faces behind bags or arms, bracing themselves from the unnatural amount of sakura petals blowing into their faces by the strong gust of wind.

He with the light blue eyes and powder blue hair though, continued walking on as if nothing was there though winced every now and then when a petal landed on his eye. Who knew that spring could be so beautiful yet mischievous on a beautiful like this one?

The sun sparkled between the spaces between the pink covered trees, the shadow and light passing across the bodies of all the students headed away from school. Kuroko Tetsuya was no exception despite how no one was able to see him all that well.

With the winter over and the end of the school year approaching, his mind had been reminiscing about the many days he had experienced where sakura petals such as these also detached themselves from their trees and showered upon him and others, marking another memorable day.

Kuroko began to brush off the petals that were stuck to his clothing once he was out of the pathway filled with the flower-filled trees. He looked back at the pathway and closed his eyes, his heart slightly shivering from the golden days he had experienced in the familiar seen.

Even though his work during the basketball season of both the Inter High and Winter Cup, the major high school tournaments in Japan, enabled him to somewhat change his ex-teammates from the dominating darkness of arrogance, they still held a distance between them all.

It was on a day like this that Kuroko had felt warm and excited at one point in his life yet at another turning point, became a lonely, painful memory.

He brushed the thought off, not wanting to think too much of the past. If anything, Kuroko had believed that he had let go of his past during his junior high days though from what he had just experienced, he was nowhere close from putting it all behind him let alone forgetting the pain it had brought him.

Even though it was just a spark, he could not help but fell weak that he could not stop the tragedies that brought him and his ex-teammates apart.

Not wanting to keep thinking, Kuroko scurried home, remembering that his Siberian husky, Tetsuya Nigou (or in short, just Nigou), needed to be fed.

Reaching the front of his house, Kuroko unlocked front door and opened it, finding himself being welcomed by the puppy. Actually, Nigou was starting to grow out of his puppy stage and began to mature into an adult sized husky though at this point in time, he was only half way there.

The dog barked with optimism as he saw his owner reached down to scratch him behind his ears. A low hum came from his throat, expressing his acceptance of the gesture.

Kuroko took off his shoes and called out to the one person who he was sure to be in the empty-looking abode. "I'm home!" came his greeting. A few seconds of silence followed but then was replied back.

"Welcome back!" greeted a cracking, old and feminine voice. From the hallway, Kuroko saw his grandmother approaching him, wearing a blue blouse and a long, white skirt. Aged wrinkles were clearly seen on her face, graying hair defining her seniority, her trembling, thinned hands showing her body starting to work against her.

Yet there were her eyes. Her eyes that were small and just as blue as her grandson's twinkled with a kindness more evident and pure Kuroko had ever seen before. Those eyes and gleaming irises smiled at the grandson with an ever loving happiness that he wished would never go away.

"You didn't have to come and greet me all the way at the entrance, obaa-san." Kuroko was worried about his grandmother's health. Her bones began to grow weaker and it was harder for her to move and hold onto things without shaking, whether it is a little tremble or a violent tremor. He walked over to her and gave her a small hug.

"Oh, a little walk wouldn't hurt this old woman, now would it?" She hugged back, her eyes glistened and her smile was strong. Kuroko wondered how she could still smile despite how much was going on with her life.

"I suppose not." Kuroko silently stared at his grandmother with blank, blue orbs, still pondering about her health.

She had noticed his stare and could determine that he was curious about something. She was one of very few people that the boy knew who could read him like a book. Maybe it was because she had taken care of him for the majority of his life while his parents were away for work and business trips.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Kuroko wondered if he should be truthful. He had never lied to her before so why should he do it now? It was wrong and what he thought wasn't exactly personal and to an extent, was just a trivial matter.

"I was wondering, obaa-san…" He trailed off, finding the right words to say.

"Yes?"

He looked back up and took in a deep breath then let it back out. "Well, how are you able to smile so brightly even though your health is worsening, obaa-san? I don't understand how you can stand anything that has happened to you in the past."

Kuroko didn't have to elaborate when he said the last sentence. At one point in his life, Kuroko had been told by his grandmother herself about her past where she was abused by her parents and made fun of in school. It was such a dreadful tale that the blue haired boy could only wonder where the elder had obtained her strength to deal with such mistreatment.

"You say that you couldn't forget it and that you would not forget it… Why?" A long paused follow before his grandmother gave a sweet chuckle.

"Follow me, Tetsuya," she said as she let go of her grandson and began walking towards the living room. Kuroko hurried to her sighed and allowed his grandmother to hold onto his arm for support. Her skin was cold and wrinkled. Nigou followed behind them, an oblivious and curious expression upon his face.

She had sat down on the couch, Kuroko sitting beside her and Nigou sitting at their feet, wagging his tail while staring at his owner and his owner's most beloved person.

Kuroko's grandmother bent down, petting Nigou on the head. She snuggled closer, wanting to get petted more.

"You really are a good dog, aren't you Nigou? It's a wonder how he has the same eyes as you, Tetsuya."

Kuroko didn't answer but just watched his grandmother happily pet his dog's head. He waited patiently, allowing his grandmother to take her time. It was at times like these that Kuroko was grateful for. His grandmother's actions were always able to loosen up his shoulders from a serious moment and make him temporarily forget his worries.

"There is a reason why I do not want to forget about my past, Tetsuya," his grandmother abruptly started. It had somewhat caught him off guard despite how many times she had done so already.

"If I were to forget, I could not pass down my knowledge from my experience to your mother and father or even to you. If I were to forget, I might have ended up like them. Even though those times for me were one of the most devastating, I kept persevering, hoping to live a better life after school. I endured and hope and held on to my past. I also loved my parents despite what they did to me. They were the ones who brought me into this life and I should at least be grateful for that…

"The teasing at school was quite harsh for everyone had thought that I was ugly and weak. I  
might have been educated but many people looked down on females wanting to learn back then. I still kept going and learned from their mistakes. I still smiled because it didn't matter to me what other people said. I was happy because I was able to achieve my goals and earn my education that I yearned and loved for. It wasn't until a little bit later that I met your grandfather and we became friends then fell in love. He loved me for me and I loved him for him. In the end it was worth it because I was able to have a beautiful family."

"I see." Kuroko looked down a Nigou who was now laying down on the carpet, curled up and ready to fall asleep with droopy eyes. His eyes widened when he found his grandmother stroking his hair a few minutes later.

Her movements were shaky but they did not falter from her action.

"Whatever you are facing Tetsuya, face it head on. Be strong and confident and move forward. Don't force the past away but hold it to you close because they can be the most important memories you have ever made whether they are good or bad. I'm letting you deal with this yourself because you're a grown man now. Don't let what other people say get to you, Tetsuya. Stay strong."

She smiled at him and Kuroko smiled back. "Don't worry, obaa-san. I will."

o.O.o.O.o

Night fell upon the Kuroko household and Kuroko was ready to hit the hay. He sat on his bed and looked at his book-infested desk. Light blue eyes glinted with amusement as he looked upon two sets of picture frames that sat on a clearing on his desk.

The closest one to him was a picture of him and the rest of the Seirin basketball club, including Nigou. Their coach, Aida Riko a second year high school student, stood in the middle of the group of boys that stood much taller than her. She stood proudly, her legs apart and her arms folded across her chest and she smiled at the camera with satisfaction. The rest of the team had their own individual smile from sheepish to elation and to one that was somewhat smug (a particular red head to be more specific). Nigou was carried in Kuroko's arms, his tongue sticking out and bright curious eyes also facing the camera.

Kuroko smiled at the nostalgic picture. It was only a few months ago since the Winter Cup that they had won and taken their victory photo.

His gazed soon wandered unconsciously to the second picture frame where a group of rainbow haired people stood.

The Generation of Miracles, the Teikou Junior High School basketball club. The time that was probably his best time in his life along with the worst time ever.

He felt his eyes grow heavy. Kuroko fought to keep them open but it seemed that fatigue from the past few days of practice had finally gotten to him. Before he knew it, he had seen darkness.

o.O.o.O.o

A bright light flashed at Kuroko's eyes and he squinted, wondering where the blinding flash had come from. The light soon dwindled down a bit before Kuroko could adjust his eyes to his surroundings.

Once he saw things clearly, he mind became puzzled.

The first thing he noticed was his attire. He was wearing his school uniform which he knew he was not wearing when he went to bed. The second thing he noticed was his surroundings. White light and space surrounded him, making him bewildered and somewhat frightened.

Where was he? Why was he there, wherever he was?

Another flash of light flared in front of him, blinding him for another few seconds. Once the light faded, he had to readjust his eyesight once more.

Sky blue eyes widened at the sight in front of him. Kuroko saw in front of him a smaller version of himself. He was wearing the Teikou basketball uniform and his hands were hidden in front of him, most likely holding a basketball.

The smaller boy's back was facing Kuroko. He could feel a rush of emotion building up inside of him. So many mixed feelings stormed inside his being as he started to reach toward his smaller self. A centimeter away from touching the smaller boy, Kuroko hesistated.

It didn't seem the Teikou version of him had noticed him. Was it possible that misdirection could also happen to him? For some reason, he doubted that. The boy in front of him was as still as a statue. It couldn't be possible for him to be that still yet be alive at the same time.

Gaining up the courage, Kuroko touched the back of the smaller boy. Again, a flash of light blinded his eyes for the third time that… Wait. What was this world?

Kuroko realized that he still didn't know what was going on. Was this a different dimension? A parallel world? A dream?

He would have tried to rationalize the situation if he did find himself in a familiar looking room.

Dust and dirt covered the ground, almost camouflaging the basketball court beneath his feet. Carts with basketballs and other equipment lined up at the sidelines of the court. If anything, they basketball court looked to be abandoned and unused.

It would have been this way if the light wasn't on and if he didn't seem the smaller version of himself practicing vigorously. Small Kuroko was wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts unlike before when he was wearing his uniform.

Kuroko walked to the boy and reached his hand out to touch his shoulders. The touch would have happened if his hand didn't go through the other's body.

His eyes widened as he looked at himself, realizing that his body was translucent. He himself was still wearing his high school uniform but that didn't really matter.

Doors to the gym opened, revealing a tanned preteen looking around the gym curiously. Small Kuroko was now at the sidelines but stared at the preteen that had just entered the gym.

He was tall, had dark skin and a darker shade of blue for hair and eyes. Even so, he could see a glint of excitement reflecting through the tanned boy's eyes.

Kuroko smiled at the scene. It was the first time he had met Aomine Daiki, his first light and first friend upon arriving to Teikou. Aomine didn't notice him at first back then. When he did he –

"Ahh!" A high-pitched scream echoed throughout the gym. Aomine was now crouched down, his heads covering his head and his body shaking from fright.

_How nostalgic... _Kuroko thought as he looked at the frightened preteen. Aomine had, at first, thought he was a ghost. It was quite amusing to see this side of Aomine since it didn't happen often.

Kuroko took a step forward only to find the scene mixing with each other and forming into a slightly different scenario.

He was now standing at the sidelines of the court, looking at his middle school self, wearing the school uniform, his head hung low and his bangs covering his eyes. This scene was one of the most vivid ones Kuroko could remember.

It was the time when he began to see himself as useless in basketball and considerably weak with his physique. Aomine had encouraged him to continue saying that he should keep on trying. Even if he couldn't guarantee the smaller male's position in the first string, at least he had made an effort to become better and that he would show result rather than not doing anything at all at then regretting that he didn't do anything when he had the chance. A person who loves basketball couldn't be a bad guy, was what Aomine said or at least it was something around there.

He remembered that he was hesitant to take in the advice, not knowing if he could really improve that much. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Akashi Seijuurou, the future captain of the Teikou Junior High School basketball club, walked in with the other freshmen first string players, Midorima Shintarou and Murasakibara Atsushi.

This was the day where he was first pushed by Aomine to continue the sport that he loved and then given a chance by Akashi to become a part of the first string for he had seen potential in him.

If his heart once throbbed from remembering the feeling rejected, Kuroko felt his heart raced now remembering that he was given a chance to be accepted. How odd though. Why was he getting excited over something that had happened years ago?

Midorima, the green haired boy with glasses, and Murasakibara, the shockingly tall purple head, along with Aomine walked out of the gym, leaving Akashi and Kuroko alone. Akashi was the one who gave Kuroko a chance to play in a game as well as gave a hint to what he can do with his low presence.

Kuroko smiled and took several steps forward. Once more did the scene warped into one where throngs of people crowded a stadium, cheering and booing their favorite and not-so-much-of-a-favorite team.

His eyes wandered down to see him on the court along with Akashi, the red head with the most calculating and sharp eyes he had ever met, Aomine, Muraskibara, Midorima, and another teen with gray colored hair. He then saw his younger self sitting on the bench watching intently on the match.

It was the first half of the game, Kuroko noted, as he remembered this particular game where many of the first string members were still skeptical about his skills when he had started out with the new group of people.

The buzzer buzzed signaling the end of the first half. The playing members returned to the bench, squirting water into their mouth and wiping off the excess sweat they were producing. Their breathing was raspy and shallow, fatigue reaching their bodies. It was their second game that day (minus one boy with gray hair named Haizaki Shougo) and so it was to be expected that having two games in a row would affect their bodies.

After several minutes of regaining composure, the referee blew his whistled once more signaling their break was over. They stood up but the younger Kuroko stood up instead of Haizaki. His face was determined for before that particular game, if he did not produce results and was found useless in the team, he would be kicked out of the first string.

Before they played though, Akashi had walked up to him, telling the boy that he had to adjust to the players on the court and to control his passes in order for them to work. He needed to make use of his skills, his lack of presence, and his observations to create the right moves, the actions that would change the flow of the game.

Hearing these words, younger Kuroko took a deep breath in and slowly allowed it to sail out. A dangerous glint was seen in the usually plain eyes though not many would notice it unless they looked closely enough.

Once the game began again, it was as if the petite boy had disappeared from his mark. Before anyone knew it, the ball that was passed to an opposing player had changed its course, slamming into Midorima's hands.

Many faces were baffled, shocked, utterly confused. Though there were the two preteens that had smiled at the change of pace and were satisfied with their confidence in the light blue haired male who had unexpected changed the tides. Younger Kuroko was given a fist bump from the tanned male player while a pat on the back was received from a red head. That was how he had earned the name, the Phantom Sixth Man of the Generation of Miracles.

Kuroko smiled, remembering the all-to-familiar event. From there, he was widely accepted by all of the members of the first string from the seniors to the also newly joined freshmen.

He then felt a gust of wind blowing at his back. Kuroko turned his back to look at the source of the wind only to be greeted by another change in setting.

The high school student found himself standing in Teikou's library, filled with a sea of books lined across shelves ranging from fantasy stories to textbooks. There at the corner of the large room was the smaller version of his smaller self, reading a book with other reading material stacked up beside him.

The smaller Kuroko was looking up, blank eyes staring up at Midorima who was shifting his glasses with his taped, left fingers. The green head's right hand was reached out over Kuroko, curled into a fist but then opened up, releasing a keychain with a rainbow coming out from a cloud.

That was the first lucky item Midorima had brought for him at that time. It was his way of acknowledgement of the blue haired teen though he had claimed it was just because he was an important person to the basketball team. Kuroko gave a small smile, thanking Midorima before he left the library.

_A tsundere as always, Midorima-kun, _Kuroko thought as he watched the spectacled boy leave the library.

A few minutes had passed before the purple giant figure, also known as Murasaibara-kun to Kuroko, walked to the middle school boy, offering a piece off vanilla flavored lollipop. Kuroko had humbly and enthusiastically (as enthusiastic as he could be) accepted from the much taller teen.

The purple giant then left the library, seeming to only be looking for the expressionless boy and not for any book in the library whatsoever. Sometimes, he wondered if it was Akashi who told Murasakibara to go and give him a piece of candy. Even if he did, he was glad that he was noticed nonetheless.

He chuckled at the memory, quite amused that the two had entered the library and left just to look for him and for some slightly silly reasons. There were many times after that one that Kuroko had experienced those times again whether it be in the library, the classroom, or after practice. Two more people became important people to him by the end of their first year in junior high.

Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to sense his surroundings around him. It took him a few seconds but in the end, he could sense the world around him shifting slowly yet quickly, like a seedling that was just planted and a child couldn't wait for it to grow but the days went by grudgingly yet when the day it sprouted it, it felt all too fast for such a thing to happen.

He opened his eyes, experiencing another change in scenery which he was now getting used to. It was the time after the famous blonde model, Kise Ryouta, had acknowledged him as well after they had played a practice match together, learning of the bluenette's abilities.

It was quite an astounding sight, seeing that at first he had always insulted Kuroko because of his height and lack of skills with the basics of basketball but later became overly friendly attached to the smaller male. Crocodile tears, exaggerated painful expressions, and overly excited greetings (sometimes) would always head towards Kuroko's way whenever they saw each other, even now.

That day, they had gone to get ice cream at the local convenience store and when a certain pink hair girl with quite a large bust, (though Kuroko would disregard altogether due to his love for basketball overpowering his love [did he have any?] for girls) Momoi Satsuki, permanently fell in love with him.

That being said, two more people were added onto his list of important people to care for.

After that, they had grown into what was then and still is now, called the Generation of Miracles, the basketball team that had marked a period of Japanese basketball history as one of the strongest teams ever known. Along the way, they had their times of fun and idiotic yet amusing behavior.

Flashes of light and color appeared in front of Kuroko. Within these flashes were individual pictures of his ex-teammates while they were in Teikou during their first and half of the second year in the junior high school.

Aomine was grinning brightly, as pure and as happy as he could ever be. The next picture was of Kise who was smiling, completely endorsed into a conversation he must be having for his eyes twinkled livelier than when he modeled and his smile was open, as if he were talking to someone. The image then formed into the girl of Momoi Satsuki who was laughing cheerfully, tears threatening to come out from the corner of her closed eyes. Midorima was next, a small smile formed on his face while he was pushing his glasses up with his left hand while he continued walking forward. Murasakibara followed, his mouth stuffed with pocky and in his arms, a bag of a variety of snacks. Last but not least was Akashi, who was smirking and his eyes glimmering with enjoyment at what must have been the sight of the rest of the GoM.

Kuroko took a step forward allowing the individual images to merge and turn into other unforgettable times.

He saw the summer festival that they had gone one night with Momoi next to him gleefully thanking him for winning her a teddy bear at a game stall. The night turned somewhat eventful when they had learned a thief had hidden valuable jewels within the stuffed toy casuing the police to interrogate Kuroko and Momoi.

There was the other time during the school festival where he, Murasakibara, and Kise were in a play. Murasakibara had to wear a dress and act as a female. Kuroko would have thought of more events that followed if the scene didn't change again into one that was the most familiar to him.

Skin covered in sweat, squeaking shoes and the sound of basketballs being dribbled echoed throughout the gym. Kuroko was practicing with the Generation of Miracles around him. The younger version of himself was expertly passing the ball to Aomine who had caught it with ease and dunked with an amazing slam into the basket.

Kise was maneuvering around his seniors as if he were like water, slipping through the gaps left by opposing players. Midorima was at the half of the court, shooting his ball into a high arc which slid through the basket with no hesitation whatsoever. Murasakibara blocked and guarded a number of opposing players with his height making it impossible for them to score at all. Akashi was dribbling a ball, his eyes scanning over the court for the best openings for him to pass to one of his teammates, which at a later point, was made into the basket with a layup.

Younger Kuroko took a short break, placing a towel over his head and slumped down, sitting with his back against the wall. He stared at his friends in front of him, watching them laugh and smile while they played, watching them trying their best to improve.

The sitting boy didn't notice at first because he was already soaked in sweat but when he felt drops of water sliding down his cheeks from the corner of his eyes, he froze. He let his hand open under his chin, allowing drops of the tears fall onto his palm.

Despite him crying, he did not feel sad. No. He felt happy, happy that at this moment, they were enjoying their lives to their fullest. They had enhanced his love for basketball and he had wished that this time would never end.

"Kurokocchii!"

"Tetsu-kun!"

Momoi and Kise were panicking when they saw Kuroko crying. They had thought something had happened to him, something horrible, that would make him cry.

"Are you okay, Tetsu?" Aomine asked, slightly worried.

Kuroko didn't answer at first. He was shocked when he saw all of the Generation of Miracles (Kise, Aomine, Midorima, Murasakibara, Momoi, and even Akashi) crowding around him curious, a bit furious, and troubled by his tearing face.

He shook his head and smiled, a sweet smile that was truly rare and made the hearts of Kise and Momoi to beat rapidly while Aomine was a bit surprised and Akashi was amused along with Midorima to see such a smile. Murasakibara's feelings were hard to determine because somehow, he was stuffing himself with potato chips making his cheeks puff up like squirrels during the middle of practice.

"I'm fine. Thank you for worrying, Kise-kun and Momoi-san." Momoi fainted at that moment, no longer able to take in the angelic frown turned upside down. No one panicked though because it had been happening to her all too much recently that they all knew she would recover within a few minutes.

Kuroko gazed at the team he had once endearingly loved with all his heart. It took him a while to notice his own tears flowing down his face. The reason he felt that way… the reason he couldn't help but cry because he knew that that moment wouldn't last. A future game was when Aomine had first "bloomed", making him stronger and faster than ever before.

His skills improved tremendously with the growth spurt of his body. It was the beginning of the separation of the Generation of Miracles, where they no longer were a team.

Kuroko felt a part of him fall and a heavy burden placed there instead. The feeling that he had when he had gained important friends began to dwindle down. Aomine was the first to leave his line of sight. He no longer could consider himself a shadow when there was no light to make a shadow in the first place.

Kise was the next to follow. His ability to copy a move and make it his own allowed him to improve all too quickly. He kept on bother the clue haired ace of the team to play one-on-one against him, knowing the tanned teen was the only one that was truly stronger than him. Blinded by the school's motto, "Winning is everything", Kise continued to develop his skills just for the sake of winning. He was starting to get bored, not as much as Aomine but just enough where his arrogance was quite visible.

Being the second smallest in the team, Akashi was at first belittled by many of his seniors. He had earned their respect over time though as he had proved himself a dependable vice-captain during his first year and the beginning of his second year in junior high school. It was this superiority, the respect, the fear, and his hard work that led him to be the next victim of the horrid motto. Akashi soon developed his own philosophy where since he "always won, therefore he was always right". Whenever Kuroko heard that nowadays, he couldn't help but feel a tad bit irritated though it was said much less often than before.

Murasakibara had grown utterly bored when he played basketball. He claimed that the only reason why he played it was because he was good at it. He didn't believe that hard work would be able to take you anywhere and to just try would only result in his opponents hope to be crushed into smithereens, expressing that talent is the only way to be successful in whatever you do.

Midorima had also grown cocky over time, believing that the horoscopes from Oha Asa and the lucky items he brings around with him everywhere enabled him to be the best shooting guard possible. The accuracy of his unrealistic shots increased over one hundred percent with little effort. What was done was done and there was no going back to the way they once were.

It's one thing when you don't change on purpose such as the Generation of Miracles but forcing yourself to change is the most difficult part there is and Momoi knew this. She knew she couldn't force 'Dai-chan' to be the basketball loving idiot she once knew, the idiot who would devote most of his spare time on the sport which he now despised and hate. Before Kuroko knew it, Momoi had also left his side, crying from the changes within the teammates of the whole team.

Kuroko was left behind, purposefully done for who knows what reason. None of his skills had improved much during that time and soon enough, he had also hated the sport that was once his life. What was supposed to be a team was no longer a team and he was left out, feeling alone in the world he soon lived in.

He had quite the basketball team after the Nationals were over and was considered to have disappeared from the face of the earth.

He knew he had broken the hearts of many others but it was inevitable. He himself was already broken and found it very hard to find a solution to this problem.

Fists were clenched and eyes squinted from the headache that was starting to form in the high school student's head. Kuroko breathed in and out slowly, trying his best to regain composure before this dream, now nightmare, would end.

When he opened his eyes, Kuroko felt solemn and somewhat calmed down as he envisioned the pathway of sakura trees with their pink petals streaming down from their branches that he saw earlier that morning. Kuroko's eyes became half lidded as he stared into the storm of pink flower petals.

His heart felt heavy and at that point, he forgot he was wearing his high school uniform and where he was. He remembered the days when he and the rest of the Generation of Miracles would run around childishly under the sakura trees seeing how well they could run under interfering plants.

_Smack!_

Kuroko felt a hand hitting the back of his head. He turned around, his hands grabbing the back of his head, and his blue orbs widened in surprise.

Kagami Taiga, Kuroko's current light and best friend, looked down at the smaller teen with concerned and annoyed fiery red eyes that looked like they belonged to a wild tiger.

"Why the hell are you being so gloomy for, Kuroko?" Kagami scolded.

"What are you doing here, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko asked, confused as he saw the red head in his dream.

"What do you mean what am I doing here? I should be the one asking you that! You've been staring out at those annoying, little pink petals fluttering all around! It's unlike you to just be watching plants randomly like that."

Kuroko smiled at his friend's concern. He then noticed the blur of red, white and black behind Kagami. Kuroko looked passed him and saw the rest of his current teammates and coach standing there together, looking at him.

"Kuroko-kun, you shouldn't be sulking. It won't help if you aren't focus during practice," Kuroko and Kagami's basketball coach and a second year in high school told the two. Aida Riko stood shorter than Kuroko but was strong in terms of personality and strength. She had led the once first years of last year (when their seniors were the first at the school) into the finals of the Interhigh. It was quite an achievement for a newly found school.

He couldn't help but smile at Kagami, his coach and the rest of the team who was looking at him with as equally bright of a smile.

_That's right… Even though those times are gone, I can create new ones and still be happy, _Kuroko thought to himself.

Seirin Private High School was where Kuroko created new and just as excitable memories with his current team as he did in the past. They were happy and they all loved basketball. With their determination and dream to become number one in Japan, which they did achieve, they had defeated the Generation of Miracles and to an extent had changed them for the better.

In the end, their daily lives returned to their normal pace from the tension that always lingered in the air before, during and after that week of the Winter Cup.

Kuroko felt his collar pulling him backwards, rather dragging him backwards. He tilted his head backwards to see Kagami dragging him.

"We have practice you idiot. Do you want to face the devil today for being late?"

"I heard that Bakagami!" Kagami tensed his shoulders when he heard his coach's voice talking specifically to him.

Kuroko smiled at the red head. "I don't Kagami-kun." Even though he said that, Kagami didn't release his hold on the smaller teen's collar, still proceeding on dragging him to school.

It seemed that either time skipped or just like before, the setting had changed. Kuroko found himself dressed in a t-shirt and basketball short, his sweat bands on his wrist while the other Seirin members surrounded him, during their own little thing for practice.

"Oi! Kuroko! Help me out here. I want to work on my arm strength so pass me and Ignite Pass Kai, will ya?" Kagami demanded. He passed the orange ball to Kuroko which bounced off the floor into the smaller teen's hands.

The phantom nodded and positioned himself on the court, positioning his body to make the lethal move possible. Kagami readied himself as well, setting his body to get ready to run. Once his foot took a step, Kuroko had twisted his arm and punched the ball away from his self, a whirlwind of and orange illusion coming from his arm.

The moment Kagami was in front of the ball, he was about to put his hands up but it was too late. The ball had hit the redhead's face, knocking him to fall onto the floor.

The freshmen trio or Seirin hurried to the taller freshman's side, hovering over him to see if he was alright.

"What the hell, Kuroko?! Why did you aim it at my face?" Kagami questioned while rubbing his forehead. He sat up quickly, stomping his way to the phantom's side.

"That's amazing how Kagami-kun is okay from the Ignite Pass Kai. You really do have a thick skull, Kagami-kun," Kuroko commented. A tick mark formed on the taller teen's face. Kagami grabbed the front of Kuroko's shirt and pulled him up off his feet to make their faces close to each other. The wild tiger was seriously pissed off.

"I get the feeling you have a figurative meaning to that and I don't like it," Kagami muttered darkly.

A white paper fan had hit the back of Kagami's head. He turned around to see their coach with the fan in her hand.

"Go to the nurse Bakagami if you got hit on the head with a basketball. I'm pretty sure it did some brain damage. It's a miracle that you're still okay." She seemed ready to reprimand anyone at that point but she was truly concerned for her ace's health.

Kagami scoffed but complied to his coach's wish, knowing that he should get his head check to see if he was okay.

"Could it be that Kagami had implanted some kind of metal into his brain to make him survive that pass?" Kiyoshi Teppei, the founder of the basketball team and the center of the starting members asked, acting completely oblivious to the situation.

The team's captain, Hyuuga Junpei smacked the back of Kiyoshi's head even though the latter was a head taller than the captain. "As if you idiot! How is that even possible in the first place?"

The starting members' point guard, Izuki Shun, opened his mouth ready to say aloud his infamous lame puns however Hyuuga covered his mouth, two tick marks forming on the captain's face.

"Don't you dare say a pun at a time like this Izuki. If you do, you can just disappear," he remarked. Izuki puffed his cheeks, disheartened that he wasn't able to say anything. He then sighed and walked over to Kuroko and tapped him on his shoulders.

"Seeing how you don't really have anyone to practice with at this point, why don't you come practice with me, Kuroko?" Izuki asked.

Kuroko nodded his head and followed Izuki to one of the baskets where they decided to practice on guarding. It was no surprise that Izuki was able to pass Kuroko who was trying desperately to block the older teen from going past him though his attempts all turned out to be futile. With this in mind, many would think that if the two had switched places, Kuroko would also fail at passing other players though if you knew his skills at this point, it wouldn't be all that much or surprised to see him disappear after driving past his opponent.

The vanishing drive still amazed many people despite how many times he had used it where it seemed that he had disappeared from his opponents view and reappearing behind them, passing them with ease. Kuroko had done so with Izuki and the other members were cheering for Kuroko's success.

"Good job, Kuroko! We've been practicing with you for so long but we still can't get passed your Vanishing Drive," remarked Koganei Shinji.

"Thank you senpai though if you were able to block my drive, I would be in trouble," Kuroko responded.

"Haha, that's true. Well, at least we don't have to actually do against you in an actual match. We'd have lost it all together if you had these skills and were in a different school." Tsuchida Satoshi wiped his sweat with his shirt.

"Nee, Kuroko, why don't we practice on your shooting against a tall guy like me?" Kiyoshi offered, a wide grin plastered on his face.

Kuroko smile and nodded. "I would like that, Kiyoshi-senpai." It wasn't until several second later that Kuroko was standing in front of Kiyoshi in his abnormal shooting position with his palms rather than his fingertips on the ball. Kuroko jumped and shot the ball with his palms which Kiyoshi attempted to block but couldn't when the ball itself disappeared from sight only to be seen once again going through the hoop.

"Your accuracy has improved a lot, Kuroko. Good job," complimented Hyuuga who had ruffled Kuroko's light blue hair.

"Please do not ruffle my hair, senpai." Kuroko pouted at the contact but Hyuuga laughed it off and returned to his own practice, focusing on his shooting skills.

The bluenette smiled at the people around him. It reminded him that he had all the support he needed in the world and that with their help, he was able to improve and develop his own skills over his first year in high school.

It was a warm feeling, similar yet different from what he felt during his middle school days. His teammates helped him improve and focused on each other's skills and bringing them all together to create the close-knit team rather than what happened back then where they had all relied on their own individual strength and only their individual strength.

Even though those days signaled the Generation of Miracles' differences, it didn't mean that their bonds with each other were broken.

Starting anew in high school, Kagami was the first person that had turned out to be considerably close to the phantom player.

Kise showed up a few weeks after school had started, reestablishing his own bonds with the small teen. He never really changed that much in the first place so his relationship with Kuroko wasn't disturbed all that much. Plus he seemed happier now that he was in Kaijou High School where he learned to work with his team though while training, he had become much stronger than before which proved to be very difficult in the future.

Midorima also seemed to be close to Kuroko even though they didn't talk to each other all that much. His tsundere-ness, as his friend Takao Kazunari had called it, dwindled down a bit and he was more expressive and more trusting with other people, especially his teammates at Shuutoku High School.

After Seirin's victory against Touou Gakuen, the school where Aomine and Momoi attended, Aomine himself relooked at his behavior and strength, realizing that there are opponents who are stronger than him. If anything it had sparked the smallest flame of joy and determination to take basketball seriously unlike before where he would skip practice and regarded the sport as a way to kill time. Now his feelings were more subtle and somewhat depressed however he felt a bit more happier and relaxed with his life as it is now.

Murasakibara more or less changed when people looked at him. Though after seeing him cry after being defeated by Seirin during the Winter Cup, the slightest ideas of what the purple giant thought for basketball might change though he would usually deny that he loved the sport. Himuro Tatsuya, Murasakibara's closest friend at Yosen High School and Kagami's childhood friend when he had lived in America, could see pass Murasakibara's façade and knew how to reach the other's heart by a handful of snacks and sweets. Many wondered how he could withstand the taller teen's antics and child-like behavior for everything in life except basketball.

Akashi Seijuurou was probably the hardest to persuade out of his old ways where winning was everything and that winners gained everything while losers lost everything. Such a philosophy was irking to many and all people. Seirin's victory was Akashi's first devastating lost, rather the first time he had lost to anyone in his whole entire life. It took weeks for him to recover and along the way, looked between the lines and saw what he was missing when he played basketball. When was the last time he just had fun playing the sport? That was the question he asked himself when he had secretly went to watch Seirin's practice one day as he saw them work until they couldn't stand anymore while laughing and smiling throughout the tiring exercise. Did he change something in his training as well as the rest of Rakuzan's team after that? No one knew since they didn't even know he had watched Seirin in the first place let alone what was going on in the basketball team of the ex-captain of the Generation of Miracles since he lived the farthest away from all of them.

Kuroko now saw an image of a group of teenagers ranging from several different school uniforms hanging out with each other. No… it wasn't an image at all. It was actually them.

The Generation of Miracles, Momoi and Kagami were standing together looking at Kuroko, smiles plastered onto their faces as they looked at the phantom player. His eyes widened at the sight. A warm sensation tingled in Kuroko's chest, a blissful emotion enveloping his being.

A small smile crept onto his face and he walked towards the group of teens that soon disappeared with the breeze of thousands of sakura petals gushed passed him, revealing a small, blue haired boy clutching a basketball to his chest and wearing the middle school basketball uniform of Teikou Junior High School.

Kuroko walked over to the boy and leaned close to him. The boy looked up, noticing the older version of himself looking down at him, tears at the corner of his eyes.

"I understand what obaa-san meant to still hold onto the past yet move forward. Even though we went through a very difficult time, we can learn from the past and create a better future. Let's create the moments we couldn't make back then." Kuroko reached his hand out to his younger self, offering it to lead him to a better world.

The pain that Kuroko once felt vanished. He understood everything and was ready to let go yet hold on. That story began and then it ended. It was time to write a new story with new goals and new characters, looking… reaching… touching for the happiness that will complete their tale.

The younger boy gazed at Kuroko with blank eyes but then they twinkled with belief and hope. He allowed his hand to touch Kuroko's where the final key had unlocked the true ending of their dramatic and exciting tale and began a new one.

"Thank you," the younger boy said, a gentle smile forming on his usually expressionless face. A light engulfed the two teens and it was time to start a new day with refreshed feelings and goals.

* * *

_A/N: I feel so angsty and sentimental right now. With the end of the year coming, I'm reflecting back at what happened this year and am now feeling nostalgic hence this very long one-shot. Homework is starting to dwindle down a bit but I have so many tests coming up for finals so I have to study. _

_I don't know what to say for the rest of the story… Well, that's it I guess…_

_Until next time! Please drop a review and favorite! Thank you for reading everyone!_


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